Was It Worth It?
by banannie112
Summary: What if after Eragon left, Arya learned something had come from her and Eragon's time together? What would happen if their child was a Dragon Rider, but didn't know she was their child?


Arya collapsed onto her soft bed. She had finally gotten over the nausea, but now her feet got sore after standing for just a short time. She closed her eyes, guilt and hurt and so many other feelings washing over her at once, as she remembered when the healer first told her what ailed her.

_Arya gaped at the elven woman, "Pregnant?!" She gasped for air, slipping into the human's language, "No. No! I-it cannot be.. it is not possible.." She switched back to the ancient language, "You must tell _no one." _The healer bowed,_

"_As you wish, Queen Arya. I'll be back in a week at most._" _Arya waved her hand dismissively,_

"_Of course. Thank-you." As soon as the door clicked shut behind the woman, Arya crumpled into herself, tears flowing down her cheeks in steady streams. She sobbed to herself, "Of all that could have happened, why this? And Eragon, trapped on that island, will never know!" She raised her face to the sky and cried, "Nen ono weohnata, Dunei un Wyrda!"_

Arya placed a hand on her growing belly and started when the life inside her kicked at her hand. She looked down in wonder, smiling to herself. In just five short months, she would meet this child and everyone would know. They would be able to see that this was not a purely elven child. But she would worry about that when the time came.

* * *

**Five months later**

Arya yelled through the cloth she was biting on, grabbing at the sheets on her bed. She fell back against the pillows, then sat straight up as another contraction passed. Nasuada tried soothing the other women in a hushed whisper,

"Alright Arya, almost there. One more push." Arya clenched her teeth and pushed with the last ounce of energy she had left. A sharp, high pitched cry split the air and Arya collapsed, all strength gone. Nasuada grinned,

"A girl Arya.. a beautiful little girl." She cleaned off the baby and wrapped her in a blanket. She placed the baby in Arya's arms. Arya brushed her hair out of her eyes and smiled down at her child. A tear dripped off the end of her nose and landed on the little girl's forehead. Arya leaned down and kissed it off,

"I am sorry… So, so sorry." She kissed her forehead once more and handed her back to Nasuada, "Please. Take care of her." Her voice cracked as a sob escaped her lips. Nasuada held the baby close to her chest,

"Does she have a name, Arya?" Arya looked at her daughter, all her pain and sadness spilling out of her eyes,

"Leilah." Nasuada nodded,

"I'll raise her as my own. She'll want for nothing, I swear." Arya smiled a sad smile,

"Thank-you. Now go… before someone comes." Nasuada wrapped another blanket around the child and fastened her cloak. She glanced one last time at Arya before climbing into Fírnen's saddle. Arya's dragon spoke to her,

_This will not be forever Arya. You will see your daughter again._

The dragon flew off into the night sky with Nasuada and the child on his back. Arya sobbed and buried her face in a pillow,

_You are wrong Fírnen. I may see her again, but she will not be my daughter._

* * *

**17 years later**

Arya sat on Fírnen's back, the one remaining egg in her lap. They had successfully gotten an egg to hatch for someone of each race; one elf, one Urgal, one dwarf, and one human. Now, she was waiting for them to show up so she could begin training them. She heard a roar and looked up at the sky. Her jaw dropped and then she laughed when she saw a red dragon the size of a mountain. She grinned when Thorn slammed into the ground and Murtagh slid off his back. Arya jumped off her own dragon, expecting Murtagh to run to her but smiled when she saw that he was helping Nasuada off Thorn's back. Arya's friend ran to her and hugged her fiercely,

"I've missed you!" She pulled back and lowered her voice, "17 years is too long a time." Nasuada smiled and walked over to help the young Rider's, who had just landed, unpack their saddle bags. Murtagh smiled at Arya and shook her hand,

"Your Majesty." Arya laughed. She was used to the title, but not coming from someone she knew before. She held onto his hand with both of hers,

"How are you and Nasuada? I have gotten no news from her since…" Murtagh nodded.

"I know. And we're doing very well. I stay with her in Ilirea and we're… raising four kids." He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. Arya laughed, not unkindly,

"That is wonderful." She said, somewhat teasingly but, wishing for news, "All your own?" Murtagh looked straight into her eyes,

"A 17 year old daughter, a 12 year old son, and twins. A boy and girl who are 7." Arya nodded and whispered,

"Thank-you." Murtagh turned and stood next to Arya, surveying the four Rider's facing them. Arya cleared her throat, "Welcome. I am Queen Arya of the elves and I will be overseeing the first part of your training known as tuatha du orothrim. Now that you know me, could you each tell me your name, your age and… where you lived I guess." She looked around the group, "Dragons as well please." She inclined her head toward the male elf on the end. He stepped forward and Arya realized she knew him,

"My name is Dusan. I have lived in Ellesméra my entire life, and I am 33 years old. One of the two youngest elves in Alagaësia." _As far as you know_, Arya thought to herself, _Or anyone knows_. She heard a distinctly male voice speak in her head,

_I am Naakve and Dusan is my Rider._ Dusan laid his hand on the gray dragon's leg. Next to him, a small dwarf girl with brown hair in two braids that reached her waist stepped up,

"My name is Ullá, I am 20 years old, and I come from Dûrgrimst Ebardac." She glanced at her dragon, which was a very light, rosy pink, "And this is Romana and she is my other half." The Urgal grunted,

"I'm Geirleiv, I'm young for an Urgal," He glared at everyone, daring them to say that wasn't a specific age. When no one did, he continued, "And I've never lived in one place for longer than a year." The large, burgundy dragon next to him spoke in a clear, female voice,

_I am Ilymr._ The human girl, who was still sitting on her dragon, was staring at her hands. She had not looked up the entire time, but was clearly paying attention,

"I've lived in Ilirea my whole life, I'm 17 years old, and …" She looked up, "My name is Leilah." It took all of Arya's willpower to not show her feelings on her face. She could feel Nasuada's eyes burning into the back of her head. The deep purple dragon that Arya's daughter sat atop spoke,

_And I am Ilsebeth, her dragon._ Arya nodded,

"Thank-you. I must be going, but you will be led to your tents and you can unpack your items. We will be staying at camp here for a week before we set sail." Arya turned away and kept herself from running to her tent. As soon as she was inside the tent though, she collapsed onto her cot. She felt Fírnen curl up against the side of the tent as he spoke in her mind,

_Arya. You will _have _to interact with her at some point._

_Even if she knows Nasuada and Murtagh are not her parents, which I am sure she does, she cannot know that _I _am her mother._

_You believe you can live your entire life, never telling your only daughter that you are her mother?_

Arya sighed, _I will have to._

Fírnen grumbled, _I hope it will be worth it dear._


End file.
